From 1999 to 2001, he served as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the Democratic Hill committee for the U.S. House. It works to elect Democrats to the U.S. House and it plays a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield politically notable or close elections. After his tenure as Chairman of the DCCC, Kennedy became a headliner at Democratic political events and fundraisers around the country. He was a Vice-Chairman of the Native American Caucus in the House of Representatives.

He was a chief sponsor of one of the major pieces of legislation of 2008, the Mental Health Parity Act, a bill requiring most group health plans to provide coverage for the treatment of mental illnesses that is comparable to what they provide for physical illnesses.[4]

Kennedy is a vocal advocate for health care reform. During his career, he joined with Republican U.S. Senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico in introducing legislation that places mental illness under the umbrella of health insurance.

In a March 7, 2008, speech to the Cleveland City Club, Kennedy acknowledged having bipolar disorder and being a recovering alcoholic. He and his siblings have legal custody of their mother, who has long struggled with alcoholism. Kennedy is co-founder of One Mind for Research, which seeks to increase resources and efficiency in brain disorder research.[5]

Kennedy campaigned for the seat being vacated by U.S. Representative Ronald Machtley (who was retiring) in the 1994 Rhode Island 1st congressional district election. He won the election, defeating Republican candidate Kevin Vigilante. He was one of four Democrats in the 1994 congressional elections to win a congressional seat that had just been held by a Republican, while Republicans gained dozens of seats to take over the U.S. House. He has been re-elected in each subsequent election.

Kennedy has acknowledged being treated for cocaine use during his teenage years, and admitted that he abused drugs and alcohol while he was a student at Providence College.[8] He sought treatment for an OxyContin addiction in 2006.[9] Due to his experience with addiction, Patrick J. Kennedy has started to advocate against the legalization of marijuana.[10][11]

During Easter weekend in 1991, Kennedy and his father were in Palm Beach, Florida, along with Patrick's cousin, William Kennedy Smith. At Au Bar, Patrick met a 27-year-old Testas Restaurant waitress, Michelle Cassone, and Smith met another woman, Patricia Bowman. Both women returned with the Kennedys to the family's beachfront retreat, where a series of events took place that resulted in Smith being charged with raping Bowman. The prosecution alleged that the three Kennedys collaborated to cover up this alleged crime. In a widely covered trial, Smith was acquitted.[12]

On May 4, 2006, Kennedy crashed his automobile into a barricade on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., at 2:45 a.m. A United States Capitol Police official said the congressman had appeared intoxicated when he crashed his car, but Kennedy claimed that he was merely disoriented from prescription medications Ambien and Phenergan.[dead link][13] Anonymous sources are alleged to have seen Kennedy drinking at the nearby Hawk & Dove bar prior to the accident.[14][15] Kennedy also stated to officers that he was "late for a vote". However, the last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier. The standard field sobriety test was not administered, and Kennedy was driven home by an officer.

On May 5, 2006, Kennedy admitted that he had an addiction to prescription medication and announced he would be re-admitting himself to a drug-rehabilitation facility at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he has sought treatment for prior addictions.[16] He has stated that he has no recollection of the car crash. On May 8, 2006, Kennedy got a show of support when he was endorsed by the Rhode Island Democratic Party.[17] On June 5, 2006, Kennedy was released from drug rehabilitation.[18]

On June 13, 2006, Kennedy made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.[19] He was sentenced to one-year probation and a fine of $350. Two of the three charges (reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit) were dismissed. He was also ordered to attend a rehabilitation program that includes weekly urine tests, twice-weekly meetings with a probation officer, near-daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a weekly meeting of recovering addicts.[20]

On Friday, June 12, 2009, Kennedy again announced that he has "checked into a medical facility for treatment". In a statement to the press, Kennedy said that his recovery is a "lifelong process" and that he will do whatever it takes to preserve his health. "I have decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery," Kennedy said.

In an earlier incident, on April 15, 2006, Kennedy was involved in an automobile accident with off-duty U.S. Coast Guard Warrant Officer Thomas Guthlein in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Portsmouth police did not issue a citation to either driver.[21] Guthlein is quoted in the Daily News (New York City) as saying "I never really got that close to him ..... It was just a regular traffic accident".

In 2003, Kennedy was criticized for saying ""I don't need Bush's tax cut. I have never worked a fucking day in my life." His staff explained that Kennedy's comment as a satirical argument against tax cuts for the wealthy, including him, some of whom have inherited their money.[22]

In 2007, the Kennedy camp stated that they would retain $6,600 in donations from Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who had been convicted that year of a Ponzi scheme fraud. Kennedy is one of the few Democrats not to return or donate these contributions.[23]

In February 2007, Kennedy was asked to refrain from receivingHoly Communion by his bishop, Thomas Tobin. Kennedy later said that the bishop had asked priests not to give him the sacrament "because of the positions that I’ve taken as a public official," particularly on abortion. Tobin acknowledged that he had requested Kennedy not to receive communion but not that he had asked priests to deny Kennedy the sacrament.[24]

Kennedy criticized Republican Senator Scott Brown for demanding to be sworn in as a Senator as soon as the election results from the 2010 Massachusetts special senate election were certified. "Brown's whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama's appointment to the NLRB," [25] Senator Brown responded “I was elected and the votes are certified and I’m here to do my job. It’s unfortunate that he would use mean-spirited comments like that at a time when we’re just trying to solve the problems of the Commonwealth” [26]

On March 10, 2010, Kennedy spoke regarding the maneuvering stratagem to the war in Afghanistan during a debate of a measure calling for the end of the war. He yelled so loudly at times about the war in Afghanistan that he went hoarse until he was finally finished with his 3 minute time limit.[27] He anticipated that some would object to his demand to withdraw from Afghanistan by claiming such withdrawal would dishonor those who have already fallen. His comment was, "Somewhere—I can't believe I even heard this—someone said 'Oh, I can't go to a funeral, and tell the parents of someone who just died that they lost their child in vain'. Somewhere, I heard that during the Vietnam War." After requesting an additional 30 seconds and being granted the time, Kennedy also went after the media for lack of coverage of the war, citing only two press members in the gallery at the time and "24/7" media coverage of the resignation of Eric Massa.

He resides in Brigantine, New Jersey. Kennedy announced his engagement to sixth-grade history teacher Amy Savell (born c. 1979) (daughter of Jerry[28] and Leni Savell) on March 28, 2011.[29] Amy has a daughter, Harper Petitgout (born c. 2008), from her previous marriage to Mark Petitgout. They married on July 15, 2011 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.[30] Patrick and Amy have two children:

His father, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, died on August 25, 2009. Patrick made a tearful eulogy at the funeral, saying that "He [Ted] would be very proud to see you all out here today paying a final respect and tribute to his memory". He further elaborated on his experiences with his father as a child, saying his father would stay at his bedside during his frequent bouts of ill health.[33][34]

When Kennedy decided not to run for reelection in 2010, he cited his decision on the fact that his life "has taken a new direction". Mark Weiner, a major Democratic fundraiser in Rhode Island and one of Kennedy's top financial backers, said "It's tough to get up and go to work every day when your partner is not there, I think he just had a broken heart after his father passed away."[36]